Apple files for patent to make walking and texting safer

A patent filed by Apple back in 2012 could make it easier for iPhone owners to walk and text without bumping into their surroundings, gizmondo.co.uk reports.

The patent describes a method of using a phone’s back-facing camera to stream live video to the background of a text message. This way, people who are focussing solely on their screens can still see what’s ahead of them and move out of the way accordingly.

Whilst the patent was first filed around two years ago, it’s perhaps surprising that Apple has not yet rolled out the technology, especially seeing as a third-party app made headlines earlier this year when it offered the exact same feature.

Apple’s patent could go deeper than many other third party offerings, however, by integrating it with other apps or features. As such, anyone reading an e-book or even browsing the net could also have a “window to the world” projected behind it.

The primary nature of this feature would remain texts, though, as these are what people are most likely to use on the go.

In the patent application, as reprinted on theregister.co.uk, Stephen Payne wrote: “The background within the text messaging session can continuously be a live and current video image of the view seen by the camera at any given moment.

“Consequently, the device’s user is less likely to collide with or stumble over an object while participating in a text messaging session.”